One Pot Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese

$6.81 recipe / $1.70 serving

A little bit of naughty, a little bit of nice, and a lot of portion control. That’s my approach to food. 😂 So when I decided to make some mac and cheese and put bacon in it, I knew that I had to at least throw some broccoli in there as well. It was a reasonable compromise because bacon and broccoli go really well together and the broccoli adds some much needed texture in this ooey-gooey One Pot Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese. Now let’s just see if I can do that portion control part…

I first tried this evaporated milk cheese sauce method a few weeks ago when making the skillet macaroni and cheese recipe from Daniel Shumski’s book, Will It Skillet?This super fast, easy, and absolutely fool-proof method of creating a smooth and silky cheese sauce is my new favorite. So this time, I swapped out the butter for bacon fat, changed up the seasoning, and added broccoli and crumbled bacon. The result was fantastic. But do I really need to even say that? BACON.

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients before beginning because the process goes quickly once it's begun. Thaw the broccoli florets and chop them into small bite-sized pieces. Slice the bacon into small pieces. Shred the cheddar cheese.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil 7-10 minutes, or until al dente). Drain the pasta in a colander and set it aside.

Return the pot to the stove, add the bacon, and cook over medium to medium-low heat until the bacon is brown and crispy (about 5 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pot, leaving the grease behind.

Add the evaporated milk, smoked paprika, Dijon, hot sauce, and salt to the pot with the bacon grease. Stir to combine and allow it to heat through (it should heat quickly as the pot will be very hot from cooking the bacon).

Once the evaporated milk is hot, turn the heat to low and begin whisking in the shredded cheddar, one handful at a time, waiting until the cheese is fully melted before adding the next handful. Once all of the cheese has been melted into the sauce, taste the cheese sauce and adjust the salt or hot sauce if desired. If the sauce becomes too thick, simply stir in one to two tablespoons of the remaining evaporated milk in the can.

Return the cooked pasta, crispy bacon (crumble into smaller pieces if desired), and chopped broccoli to the pot with the cheese sauce. Stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Step by Step Photos

Prepare the ingredients for the mac and cheese before you begin, because the process goes quickly once started. Thaw and chop 1/2 lb. frozen broccoli florets into small bite-sized pieces. Next time I’ll even chop them a bit smaller than in the photo above.

Shred 8oz. medium cheddar cheese.

Slice 4 oz. bacon into small strips. I generally only use a small amount of bacon in a recipe (enough to give flavor, but not enough to make the recipe super expensive). So, if I buy a 12oz. package like this, I’ll divide it into three sections, use one, and freeze the other two for later.

Cook 1/2 lb. pasta according to the package directions, then drain it in a colander and set it aside (this is a one pound bag, so I used half of it).

Return the pot to the stove, turn the heat down to medium or medium-low, add the bacon, and sauté it until it is brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces from the pot, leaving the bacon grease behind.

To the bacon grease add 1 cup evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp hot sauce, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to combine and dissolve the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Allow the evaporated milk to heat through. It should heat very quickly as there isn’t much in the pot and the pot should be rather hot from cooking the bacon.

Once the evaporated milk is very hot, turn the heat down to low and begin to whisk in the shredded cheddar, one handful at a time. Make sure the cheese is fully melted in before adding the next handful. If the sauce gets too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the remaining evaporated milk from the can (there should be about 1/2 cup left in the can).

Once all the cheddar is melted into the sauce, you can taste it and adjust the salt or hot sauce to your liking.

Finally, return the cooked and drained pasta, crispy bacon, and chopped broccoli to the pot with the cheese sauce. You may want to crumble the bacon a little further before adding it back in.

Stir until everything is coated in cheesy bacon-y goodness!!

And that’s it. The most delicious One Pot Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese EVER.

I made this to accompany dinner last night and we all enjoyed it very much. Lots of flavor, and a nice easy way to make a cheese sauce without a longer and involved process. I steamed fresh broccoli because I already had it on hand, but made no other substitutions.

I found your site by accident and have enjoyed reading your recipes and your inspiration story (eating well without spending a fortune). I am presently cooking another one of your recipes tonight (Seafood Rice Skillet) but adapting it to an Instant Pot due to slight differences in ingredients on hand (breaded shrimp to be oven baked).

OMGoodness, this was ah-mazing! We used turkey bacon instead of regular (in a fruitless attempt to convince ourselves this was healthier) and it was to die for! Since turkey bacon doesn’t give off as much grease we also added a tbsp of butter with the grease before adding the evaporated milk. Definitely a keeper for cold snowy nights!

I don’t know where I went wrong, but this recipe did not work out for me. The cheese didn’t emulsify into the evaporated milk, so I had a gross, clumpy mess instead of a cheese sauce. I put it through a strainer because I couldn’t think of anything else to do, but that predictably enough did not work. I’ll go back to the tedious but reliable method of making a white cheese for my future mac and cheesies, but if I ever did try this recipe again, I would maybe try having the pan hotter when I throw the cheese in.

Although I haven’t tried it, I don’t think that will work the same. The evaporated milk has a higher protein content (due to the concentrating effects of evaporation), which helps emulsify the melted cheese.

Just finished our meal Delicious and easy because I had all ingredients. I had to use reg paprika. I put smoked sweet paprika in my grocery list. Thanks for another winner, Beth. Your recipes are family favorites!

I made this last week and mine did not turn out as well as the recipe looks. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted good, but I think I will stick with my usual bechamel sauce recipe in the future.
My sauce might’ve broken or just never set up, because it was not rich and creamy like the photos. Again, still tasted good but not something I would show off

I love this recipe!! I’ve made it twice already! I’ll add – I substituted sausage for bacon (because I’m not a huge fan of bacon). Used some grease from the sausage and added a bit of butter. Also probably added too much mustard, but I like the flavor. Oh! And I sauteed some red bell peppers with the sausage. Because vegetables.

Hi! I’m Beth

As a food lover and a number cruncher I've decided that cooking on a budget shouldn't mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. Join me for delicious recipes designed for small budgets. More »